The Face of Matches Malone
by Anne O'Brien
Summary: While undercover, Bruce Wayne is stricken with amnesia, and forgets who he is. Along with young Robin Dick Grayson, Bruce is taken to a greedy mobster's labor camp, leaving Dick to try to figure out how to not only liberate the camp, but how to reacquire Bruce's memories.
1. To Be Expected

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know, I know, why make Bruce so cheery all the sudden? I don't know, why not? I mean, the guy is never happy, come on, give him a break. And also, I'm using a happy and funny Dick for this, plus he's my age(and I don't mean YOLO and SWAG, that's just idiotic), so I can make him a bit like me. And trust me, he's a lot like me in this story.**

**Yes, Dick does make a whole lot of fourth wall references, sorry!**

**Yes, I know, the Batman/Robin, Father/Son thing isn't really that realistic in the DC Universe, but hey, why not play around with it?**

**Anyway, "I don't own anything Batman-related" I say while beating lawyers off with a stick.**

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Dreams about my parents. No, nightmares. I still have them, even at thirteen. What happened just years ago seems like eons. I will never forgive and never forget.

My alarm clock blares and I am forced to retreat from the nightmarish landscape that can only be described as my thoughts. I smell bacon. And eggs. I wonder if Bruce is awake while I do my daily morning reps.

I make my way to the kitchen -I still get lost in this house, no matter how many times times Alfred goes over the plans with me- and see what else is cooking.

Oh. My. Jesus. Bruce is cooking breakfast.

"Oh, hey, Dick. How'd you sleep?" Bruce says so cheerily, I get goosebumps. This is weird...

As I walk toward him and around the kitchen island, I pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming. My pain confirms that I'm not. I poke Bruce's shoulder to convince myself that he's real as well, and he is quite tangible. Hard muscle tangible.

"Who are you and what have you done with Bruce Wayne?" Alright, when you live the kind of lifestyle Bruce and I live, you must understand that this statement is meant seriously. If someone infiltrated Wayne Manor, not only would Bruce be one unhappy bat, but we would also be screwed. So you get it when I say what I say while standing ready to fight in the Wayne Manor kitchen. Thank you.

Bruce gives me a incredulous stare.

"Look, Dick, I understand your suspicion, but you this is me. I am Bruce Wayne, and you have no reason to think that I am not, in fact, the real Bruce Wayne. If you still have suspicions, you may go ask Alfred in the den about what's going on," Bruce says, and flourishes his hand and turns around in a fluid motion. I decide to go see if Alfred is in there, and sure enough, when I peek around the edge of the wall, I see an old man, sitting in a chair in front of an unlit fireplace, drinking tea in a very nervous fashion.

I return to the kitchen and apologize for accusing Bruce, and he accepts. I hop on the island, -quietly may I add- and he holds up a finger , pointing down, telling me, "Off the island, Dick." Now that's a bit more like the Bruce I know. I take a place next to him at the stove leaning against the counter.

"So, happy-Bruce-that-seems-too-good-to-be-true, why are you so happy-go-lucky this morning?" I say, hoping he will tell me something really stupid like a art showing tonight, but unfortunately, he says nothing and put a finger to his mouth accompanied by the "shhhh" sound. That, now that, it scares me.

He walks to the island, and puts five pieces of bacon on a plate on the counter. He says not to touch them, but, being me, I take on anyway, and him being him, he notices and a chase down commences. Most of you would think, "Oh, he's Batman, he'll win, of course!" but you may also forget my acrobatic skills. I climb things well, he runs faster, though.

I run throughout the entire manor, climbing up staircases, and sliding down banisters. It's all great fun, until you go somewhere where Bruce can't get to you, then it gets exciting.

"Aww, come on, Dick, you know that's not fair!" Bruce says. I wiggle the bacon in the air in front me. I am on the roof, and there's pillars that I jumped from, but Bruce is too heavy to make the jump from the top of them to the roof. Course, he could if he tried really hard, but you know, he's got to do thing the Batman way. So, off he goes, after saying,"Hold on, I'll be right back,"

And right back he was, holding...a grappling hook.

"Wow, Bruce, if you can't get up here without your trusty grappling hook, that's just pathetic," I taunt him. But then, he pulls something small and metallic out of his pocket. I can't clarify it, I'm too high up, but it looks like a smaller version of the original hook.

It was a smaller version! And Bruce was pointing it right at me. I am so shocked, I don't have time to move before he fires, and as I wait for pain of a small hook to explode across my face, it doesn't come, but I do feel the bacon come out of my mouth.

He took the...what? Bruce freaking Wayne used a small grappling hook to retrieve bacon out of his son's mouth from four stories down. I like it.

He runs away and back into the manor, with the bacon, and I jump down laughing.

While this morning was pretty great, nights in Gotham are always the best.


	2. Night of Remembrance

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ha! you're still reading, great, I officially love you, dude! **

**More Matches, and I'm actually getting to the Matches part in this Chapter. And yes, I know, I know, Dick's undercover name, "Robby" is really generic, but I liked it, so suck it up. I'm sorry. Dick may make some more fourth wall references again, I don't know. Make him aware, do something, self. Hahaha, your guess is as good as mine.**

**Oh, and I also added the part with the contacts, because I don't know if they ever added contacts in the comics or anything.**

**Once again, I don't own DC, or Batman, or Dick Grayson, or Robin, or anything else recognizable.**

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"See, what you've got to do is rub the color in really well. If you don't, it will come out, and we definitely don't want that," Bruce explains to me, newly dyed white hair all up in my face. My hair is going to be blonde. Why are we are we dying out hair you ask? Batman and I are going undercover to investigate a crime lord who is kidnapping people. The families of these people never see them again.

Bruce is going to be Matches Malone(I'll explain that to you later), and I will be Robby Malone, Matches's apparent son. This is the not the first time I have ever been undercover, but hey, going undercover is **ALWAYS** exciting. I mean, who doesn't love acting like someone you're not, living and breathing like someone you're not, all just to get on the inside of crime in Gotham. How fun!

We changed into appropriate outfits, and Bruce wearing an old, brown jacket, white shirt, me wearing almost the exact same thing, just a blue jacket. We are ready and set.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Contacts!" Bruce walks over the stand in the Batcave where we were applying dye and makeup and such, with Alfred's help of course. Bruce grabs two pairs of contacts, but I can't tell what color they are yet.

"Green for you, brown for me," Bruce says, and I'm going to go ahead and say, he's still SUPER happy from this morning, and I can't figure out why. All I have been able to come up with is that he's psyching up for tonight, but I don't know any mobsters that are as happy as he is. For all I know, he had an epiphany, an decided to get cheery as often as he can. This better not mean a happy Batman as well, then my nightlife would be terrible. I shudder at the though of it.

"I assume your are ready to leave and go to the alley where the gang is meeting, sir?" Alfred says, returning to the Batcave from his previous absence. He doesn't really enjoy it when Bruce goes undercover, much less me, but he is making an exception tonight.

Bruce says we will be going not in the Batmobile, that would be too obvious, to gang member arriving in a high tech car owned by a costumed vigilante, no, we will be arriving two block away from the meeting site, in one of the cars that Alfred drives Bruce around in. It's some atrocious yellow thing, but I agree, since it's what's necessary.

I ask Bruce why he's so happy again in the car, but to no avail. The best secret-keeper in the world is holding yet another secret.

When we arrive a few blocks away from the site, Alfred lets Bruce and I out. He drives away, warning us not to let anything happen.

"Can't make any promises!" I yell, smiling. I turn and Bruce is smiling, somehow. I've seen his smile before, but that was for the public eye, and not just because he wanted to. Interesting.

Bruce gives me some pointers on how to talk and how to walk. He talks in Jersey accent, a perfect Jersey accent, may I add, and I am to talk the exact same way. After a while, I get and then its on to walking. This comes naturally because the last time we went undercover, he told me walk the same way. I already had acting lessons from Alfred, so I'm set for that, and we were off.

We weren't bothered by anyone on the way to the alley, but when we got to it, there was no one in it.

I can't say, but I am thinking the same thing Bruce is thinking, what's going-

I am interrupted by a grunting sound as Bruce is whacked in the head with some wooden object. I whip around ready to fight, but what I see doesn't encourage me. About twenty mobsters, all armed with MP5K's and some with bats as well. I don't want to make a move, and I'm planning what will happen next when I too and whacked in the head with the butt of some kind of rifle. My vision is blurry, but I can see Bruce being dragged away and shoved into some kind of truck that has just arrived in the alley. He is so limp, I hope he's not dead, not after all he's done, just to die in an alley, hit by a bat across the head.

I am dragged into the truck as well. The floor of it is so cold, and cold, cold, cold...Cold is all I remember from that night.

Cold.


	3. The Woes of the Butler

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry my chapters are so short, I have never been one for long explanations, just short and sweet. No but seriously, I wanna know if if you guys want longer chapters, if so, I'm sure I can figure something out. This one especially is going to be short, it's about Alfred. **

**Love it, or ****leave it, you better gang way, you better hit the bullseye, this kid don't play, if there was a problem, YO, I'd solve it...shut up.**

**I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RECOGNIZABLE:)**

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**Alfred's P.O.V**

I have served the Waynes since before I can remember. Not only have I served them, but they have also served me. I have learned the real meaning of family, and trust with these people and I will be in their debt forever. Maybe that's why I stay with them. I feel I owe them somehow. I know they don't feel that way. But I do.

Master Bruce and Master Dick have been gone for a while. I expected a night or so of undercover work, but they have been gone for a couple days now. It's starting to make me worry. There's no way to contact either of them: they brought no communication devices to dispel any suspicions. If anything happened to them, I would be devastated, I would never be able to forgive myself. His parents would never forgive me. That's why I did something.

I did a bit of detective work myself. Bruce taught me a little bit and it was plenty to get what I needed done. I knew who Batman and Robin were investigating because Dick told me, and there's no way I would help them get ready to go undercover without knowing what was going on. I went to the alley where they were supposed to meet, and luckily, very luckily, there was a truck in it. They were about to pull out and I needed to move fast.

Wireless tracker in hand, I noticed that there people loading something on the truck. I unfortunately couldn't see what it was, but they struggling to get them on. I laid discreetly under the truck, soiling my coat, but doing what needed to be done. The men shut the door on the back of the truck, walked around it, and got in the cab. As they drove off, me being under the truck, stuck the tracker on the bottom of it. I assumed wherever this cargo was going was where Bruce and Dick were.

But I could only hope.

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**I literally wrote this in five minutes guys, I'm sorry if its bad. I'm in no rush (sick from school today), I just got it done quickly. I usually post my chapters, then go back and proofread them, which makes no sense, I know, but it's what I do. Don't forget to review. Those things mean the world to me.**

**P.S. There's going to be a visit from a certain boy in blue in this story, so stay tuned to figure out who he is, if you haven't yet of course. :)**


	4. Friends in Low Places

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Still reading I see? Good, I love you, man. Anyway, three chapters in? whew! That's work, even though it's not to the good writers. Ha! **

**Just remember to review, like I said, I love those things. I would LIKE to know what I'm doing wrong...seriously, I do. **

**Bla, bla, bla, I don't own Batman or anything else you can recognize, yada, yada, yada...You knew it was coming.**

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The next thing I knew was that I was asleep in a bed, a bunk, in fact, and I had a terrible headache.

"Agghh..." I moan as I rise from the bed, holding my head. I'm too puzzled to even make a statement about that unintentional rhyme. I look around me, taking in my surroundings, just as Bruce taught me to in these situations. Bruce! Where's Bruce. Oh, my God, I've got to find him.

Yeah, yeah, shut up. You're probably thinking, "Wow, Dick, you're such a whiny pants. Can't live without Bruce, can ya?" Actually no, I probably can't. When your father(and mother) are killed, and you get a second father(Batman, albeit), you won't let anything happen to him. That's especially hard in my situation.

"Oh, hey, kid. You're awake, I see, " a voice comes from below me, in the bottom bunk. I slip my head down over the side, and from my upside-down view, I see a man. African American, blue eyes, crazy blue eyes. He's staring at me intently, as I am him. Despite his muscles, and obvious athletic physique, I don't recognize him as a threat. The eyes, mostly. While they're piercingly icy blue, I find sincerity in those eyes, maybe because they look just like Bruce's.

"When they threw you and that man off the truck, they brought you in here, and just dropped you in the floor. I picked you up and put you in the bed. It felt right, considering you probably didn't do anything to get in here. M'name's Martin. Yours?" the man asks, holding out his hand. I drop on the floor, quietly, and shake the man's hand. He has a strong, confident grip.

"Dick. My name is Dick," I say, not realizing until seconds later that I just told the man my real name. Idiot! God, I hate myself sometimes. Then I notice something else. Martin's story. The man, he may be Bruce.

"Martin, you need to tell me where they took the man that was thrown off the truck with me. It's imperative that I know," I plead with my new friend, hoping he remembers where they could have taken Bruce.

"He's in the tent next to ours, I'm sure. You can go see if you want. It's lunchtime. We can pretty much wander as much as we want then," Martin's words make me ask myself another question. _Where am I?_

In our tent, its windy, but a warm wind. I'm realize I'm wearing a wife beater and working pants. Now there's no way someone could have put these on me without looking. I notice Martin is wearing the same thing. He's laying on his bunk, looking as relaxed as someone can be.

I run outside, into the glaring sun of the desert. Exactly, desert. That's all that's around us. But not like a sandy desert. The ground is littered with the occasional shrub and I see lizards scurrying around. No matter what desert it is, it's still a **hot** desert.

I run into the tent on my right. There's not many men in there, but none of them are Bruce, I can see that. The tent on the left is a different story. The only person in the tent is a man laying on a bottom bunk, in the very back of the tent. His face is hidden from my view, so I can't tell who he is. As I walk back there, toward the man, I am praying to Lord that it's Bruce. I love the man, and I can't lose him.

When I get closer to the man, I see white hair, and oh, its Bruce. Thank you, destiny. Thank you so much. Now I have one more question: Can you wake him up?


	5. Saving Bruce Wayne

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Look, I (sniff) just want to tell you (sniff) that I love you for reading this. (sniff, sniff) I really do. Thank, man. For continuing on and keeping me in mind. I really do love you...don't make it awkward...**

**I (unfortunately) DON'T OWN ANYTHING DC-RELATED!**

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Bruce was asleep, and he looked like he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. So I did something that Bruce really hates, but I progressed it a bit more to get results I needed. Bruce really hates it when people put their hand in his face and stuff, so I slapped him, so that maybe he would feel the shock of someone not just putting their hands in his face, but slapping it as well. I'm sure it hurt.

It did something, because just then, Bruce groaned and sat up. When he opened his eyes and looked around, it was the most bewildered I had ever seen him. Batman never gets surprised. But I was about to get one **HUGE** surprise.

"Bruce? Are you alright?" I ask putting my hand on his shoulder, which, let me tell you, is not something I get to do often. Bruce looks at me for second time and I think, "Well, say something, man!" And he says something all right. Something I never want to hear, and never thought I'd hear from him.

"Bruce? Who's Bruce?" he says. I almost faint. Grief rushes through me. I am bewildered just as he was a moment ago. I think my mouth is most likely shaped like an "O"

"Did you just call him Bruce?" a familiar voice says from the entrance to the tent. I turn to see Martin, my friend. I feel I have to tell him the truth, because there's no way I'm getting him out of this tent.

"Martin, come here, please. I've got to tell you something I think you will find interesting." Martin cautiously walks to the back of the tent, making sure there's no one else in it but him, me, and Bruce, who's is still looking around and rubbing his head.

"Martin, you've got to understand. This man is Bruce Wayne, I'm sure you've heard of him. I'm Dick Grayson, his adopted son. We were on the way back from the a costume party one night and we got jumped. Next thing I remember is we're and Bruce's got no memory of who he is or of who I am. We have to get back home somehow, but I just don't know," Yeah, yeah, I know. But I can't just tell him he's got Batman and Robin on his hands. I told the costume party part to compensate for our dyed hair. It was bad, but Martin seems to be buying it. He also seems to be in shock that he's sitting next Bruce Wayne.

"Are you alright?" I ask him. He looks unresponsive. He's just staring at Bruce. You know, I know Bruce is pretty popular, but I didn't that people did **this** when they met him. He looks like an idiot.

"I think he's a bit loopy, kid," Bruce says, waving his hand in front of Martin's face. At least Bruce is speaking. He also looks pretty scary, with a wife beater on, his muscles are showing full blast, and his constant brooding look that he has even when he doesn't know who he is make it worse.

I hear another truck come up, right outside the tent. I grab Bruce's arms and walk outside, leaving Martin to his own doings. The truck has brought new prisoners, "Like this is going to be good" I think, then they start exiting the truck. There's mostly men, but some women. One man and woman couple get out last, and I am again completely and totally shocked at what I see.

Let me tell you. The couple looks normal, to the general public. The man, he has black hair, curl on front, and glasses. Baby blue eyes I can see from even here. The woman, she has long black hair, and blue eyes as well. They're both wearing glasses. They have an aura of power that only some can feel. I, unfortunately, am one of those people.

My life just got a whole lot more interesting.

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**Do you know who my surprise characters are? If so, review or something. Just let me know somehow, my next chapter will probably be up sometime in the next few minutes:)**


	6. A Friend in Need

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although they are few in number, I love the reviews I'm getting, I really do. Keep it up, readers, and remember, I love you! :)**

**I send you a billion hugs and a kiss:) Just one, though. **

**I do not own anything recognizable.**

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The man scans the area, I assume looking for Bruce and I. He looks for a moment, then he spots us. He nudges the woman, and she smiles broadly in my direction, then she sees Bruce, and frowns. I turn to look at Bruce who's staring googly-eyed at the woman. I doubt she enjoys it very much. Bruce Wayne may be Gotham's most eligible bachelor, but he's not the Justice League's.

When the couple are in their tents, I almost bump into them trying to get into the tent while they are trying to get out. I push the man, who's in the front, back into the tent, along with the tent, dragging Bruce with me.

The woman hugs Bruce, very hard, and I hear the breath come out him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Bruce. I'm just excited to see that you're okay. When Alfred called us, I thought you had..." she shuddered. I could tell she didn't like the thought of Bruce being gone in any way. Turns out that, even though he has no idea who is, Bruce is still capable of a very menacing glare, and he was using it on three of us.

I suppose I should tell you who these people are, as they are very close to both Batman and me.

The woman is Diana Prince, known to the world as Wonder Woman. She is also known to her people as Diana of Themyscira. The man is Clark Kent, Kal-El, or Superman, as he better known by. They, along with Batman, make up the three best-known members of the Justice League. They are also very good friends with Bruce.

I know Diana must be truly concerned, for she rarely ever assumes an identity other than Wonder Woman. Oh, glasses, how they are so well-fitted for concealing secret identities. I'm glad Bruce and I wear masks, because I don't think I could stand wearing glasses all the time. I also think Diana has a thing for Bruce, and Clark is taken by Lois, so kind of leaves her to him.

Diana, however feminine she may be, is not to be underestimated, though. She is a very capable fighter, and her Lasso, that thing is powerful. Bruce once had her use it on me, and I hated it. She didn't hurt me of course, just sucked the truth out of me.

Superman is extremely powerful as well, but I'm not going to get into that, for lack of time.

They seem very happy to see us, but they, unfortunately, don't know what's going on. I assume that Alfred called them in, and they somehow found us, but Alfred doesn't know about Bruce, so this is going to be hard. I guess, since they know Bruce doesn't talk too often, that he's fine, but he's not, and I don't know how to break it to them. They'll be devastated. Especially Diana.

"Look, uh...Diana? Clark?" I say awkwardly. I have only met them a few times, and that was only for short periods of time. And they're the freakin' Justice League for crying out loud! Bruce still hasn't said a word. Staying real quiet in that way that he always is.

Clark puts his hand on my shoulder in a very fatherly and friendly way. "Dick, you know you can tell us anything, right?" It just intensifies my awkwardness. They're my friends, I tell myself. Friends, not bosses. I decide just to tell them straight-up.

"When we went undercover, Bruce and I, we were captured, as I guess you have figured out. We were both hit on the back of the head. Hard. I still have a headache from it, but Bruce, he...he was hit especially hard. When he woke up this morning after I found him, he didn't know who he was. Didn't know who I was. And I don't think he knows who you guys are either," I say, looking down, feeling ashamed, and realizing that this is all my fault. I could've done something in the alley, since I wasn't knocked out. I could've saved him, I could've...

Clark puts one finger under my chin and lifts it up. "Dick, this isn't your fault, and you know it. I know it. Diana knows it. Bruce knows it. You need to let go of this guilt, because it doesn't belong to you. You are a good kid, and an even better partner. I would take you as my partner any day, and sure Diana would, too," Diana, behind Clark, nods, smiling. "Anybody would, because you know how to get the job done, and do it right. You're doing extremely well under pressure, too. That's a good sign," Clark rises to his full height, and he looks extremely majestic, let me tell you.

"Clark, what are we going to do? Bruce is useless at he moment and we're stuck here," Diana looks distressed. Technically they're stuck here, and really neither are Bruce and I. Diana could carry me and Clark could carry Bruce and, woosh!, we're out of here. But that brings up another good question. We can't just leave these people in this camp, we have to get them out somehow. I know Wonder Woman ans Superman would agree. Even Batman wouldn't let them stay, and Robin certainly wouldn't.

I'm really surprised Bruce has stayed still for the time being. He's never been one to keep in one place for too long. He looks like he's starting to get jittery.

"Bruce? Hey, friend. How're you doing?" Diana asks gently, sitting down next to Bruce on the bed he's been on since we entered the tent five minutes ago.

"Woman, I don't know you, or the man, or the kid. I also happen to not know this 'Bruce' guy you people seem so worried about. Whoever he is, he's lucky to have so many people who care about him," Bruce says, looking down, "I'm sorry I can't help you guys, but I don't know him. I honestly don't even know I am, but I can say that all three of you people look familiar. Your names, too. You, kid, you're Dick, right? I can't place it, but your name is so familiar. And Clark...I've heard that before...Ugh! Why can't I remember?" I hate to see Bruce like this, he's never been so helpless before.

Just then, a bell sounds, and we all go outside, including Bruce.

"Something's happening. The end of lunchtime," Clark observes. Everyone is going in one direction, to one building, one that doesn't look in very good shape, I must say. We all walk toward the building, shading our eyes from the glaring heat. It's hotter than that one villain Bruce and I had to defeat, I can't recall his name...

Inside the building, everyone is grabbing a pickaxe. Oh, no, I think, we're mining. I've never been comfortable in small spaces, much less underground. Hopefully, it's an above ground mine, or this is going to be a very bad day for me. Even though none of us want to grab a pickaxe and work for anyone, Clark, Diana, Bruce, and I all comply. We know we don't look happy about it, though.

We all file back out into what seems like the middle of the camp. It's just a large dusty area that all the buildings are surrounding. A man comes to the middle of out group and stands on a rock. We four are standing right next to him basically because we're right in in the middle of the circle.

"Workers, you useless people! You are here to work, and you are not to defy us, as I am going to show you today. This woman has stolen from the lunchwomen who work hard to supply you with lunch! What are we going to do about it?" the man holds the poor woman up by her hair, and she's screaming. Diana has her hand over her mouth, and Clark and I are furrowing our eyebrows in shame. I know they're planning on doing something, they're just waiting for the right time. Bruce is a different story. He's _seething. _Livid.

"Hotbox! Hotbox! Hotbox!" all the people around us are yelling in unison. What the crap is a hotbox? Suddenly, Bruce yells, charging the man. Bruce has always been the one to fight for individuals' justice, and I know he felt this woman should not be punished so harshly. For doing something that she was forced to do.

Bruce may not know who he is, but he's still got the fighting skills boiling inside him. He punches the man directly in the face. He falls off the rock, but men are up on Bruce instantly. Then, Diana, Clark, and I intervene. Clark and Diana get the men off Bruce, and I tend to the woman.

"Are you alright?" I ask her, helping her up. She nods feebly, and wobbles to someone in the crowd. I hate to see her go, for she'll be a target now, but I hope she finds somewhere to hide. I turn to check on the situation behind me.

Clark and Diana have gotten Bruce safe, but they cannot fight or take action in fear of revealing their identities. Then man who was standing on the rock before Bruce pummeled him is just now rising. A man comes to his side, trying to help him up, but the bloody-nosed man refuses.

"Get off me, you whelp," he hisses, and stands holding his nose, blood seeping through his fingers. Diana and Clark have to hold Brice back, because is they didn't he would probably kill the man, and we couldn't have that.

"People, you have seen what has unfolded before you. I think these people need to have punishment, don't you think? They will get one full day in the hotbox, all at the same time!" the man yells. Nobody cheers like I bet he hoped they would. He tells the man beside him to grab us and take us to the hotboxes. They do as he says and Clark tells me not to fight back. I must comply. Bruce isn't taking it so well, though. He struggles against the few men it takes to hold him down. Diana walks over to him, and whispers something in his ear. I cannot hear what she says, but it makes him stop fighting.

As the men take us, I wonder not only what the "hotboxes" are, but also what Diana told Bruce.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you like that? I hope so. I really hope you guys think I did well portraying Clark and Diana. This is the way I see them: Diana is really motherly, but ferocious when the need be, and Clark is very brotherly, but when the situation demands it, he knows what he needs to do. **

**I hope you think of them the same way. **

**I also found something out. "Batman" is also a term used to describe a personal servant, so technically, Alfred is Batman's batman. :) Just a fun fact for you there. The more you know!**

**P.S. This is the longest chapter yet! I hope you didn't get a headache reading it!**


	7. Liberation

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you guys liked the last chapter, it took FOREVER! I couldn't decide what I wanted the characters to do, and honestly, I usually just write my stories as I come up with them. That's why there's no organized time period between chapter posting. Because I have a terrible memory, and if I have an idea I don't want to lose it!**

**Anyway, don't forget to review, whether you liked it not, and keep reading!**

**I don't own anything recognizable.**

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Turns out, the hotboxes sucked.

They stuck you in metal boxes and pretty much just let the sun take care of you from there. It beats on the box, making the metal hot, and making the inside of the box even hotter. I guess it's a good thing I could talk to Clark, Diana, and Bruce while we were stuck.

"That pathetic scumbag!" Bruce says, going on about the guy's pitiful mind and ridiculousness. He hates it when people who think they have more power prey on the innocent. I'm actually surprised Diana didn't rip the guys head off, with her sexual equality thing going on. She did look pretty mucked up afterwards, though. Clark was calm and composed, just as he is most of the time.

Something else comes to mind. I was thinking that I hope that neither Clark nor Diana brought communication devices with them, because that would mean our last resort would be calling the League, and I know I don't want four other superpowered individuals disguised as normal humans up in the camp. That would be disastrous.

"...he could just do that to that poor woman? With no conscience? Monsters!" Bruce keeps going on and on about the man's inhumane treatment of the woman. This is going to get him some taunts and jokes at the Watchtower. I mean, why he want anyone to know that Batman actually cares about some things?

"You know, I love Bruce, but I'm glad he didn't talk that often when he did know who he was," Diana says, wiping her forehead. We can see each other through small holes in our boxes, which allow oxygen in and out. They also allow a small bit of wind, and thankfully, it's **very** windy in the desert. Oh, and by the way, Clark said he knows where we are. The Mojave Desert. We're in the part that's in Nevada. I don't really care where it is, just the temperature, which needs to go down. A lot. Clark and Diana has their glasses off, because even if they had them on, they would just keep slipping off from all the sweat. Clark would get us out with heat vision or strength and Diana could do the same, but, again, its too risky.

"I'm starting to think that we may need to call in the JLA, Diana," Clark says, looking at her. I slump down in my box. I **really** don't want them here. I love them all, but they can be difficult sometimes. Plus, how are we going to get a hold of them? I relay this and Clark smiles.

"I have my ways, Dick. Come on? You didn't think I wouldn't come prepared? Bruce hasn't been teaching us nothing in the last few years, you think?" he laughs and pulls out a two-way walkie-talkie. I wonder how he snuck that in here, but I don't question it. It's our only way out of this hole.

Clark rotates some dials and pushes a button. I hear static, then Green Lantern Hal Jordan's voice: "Kal! I haven't heard from you in forever! Have you seen Diana? I can't find her, or reach her, or anything. J'onn's getting worried...Oh! and so am I, of course," I smile at Hal's awkwardness. I love him. Bruce is fascinated, he can't enough of the voice on the other side of the walkie-talkie.

"Hal, I'm fine. Tell J'onn not to worry, alright?" Diana says reassuringly.

"Hal, I need you get the League together and come to my location. When you see the camp, tell me, okay? I've got Batman and Robin with me. I repeat, gather the League and come to my location," Clark says with finality.

"Alright, Clark. We'll be there in a few minutes, alright? See you then. Green Lantern, out,"

"Superman, out," Clark repockets the walkie-talkie, "You heard Hal, they'll be here in a few minutes. We need to prepare for liberation," Luckily it's nighttime now, so its not as hot, but it's starting to get cold.

We stay quiet for the next few minutes, anticipating the call from Hal. Even Bruce refrains from ranting for a while. He must understand the intensity of the situation.

Our patience pays off. Minutes later, Hal's voice comes over the frequency. "Kal, we're here, and it doesn't look pretty. We can't find any of you guys in the tents, or in the mines, so where are you?" he sounds concerned, but who wouldn't when a few of your best friends are locked in a box?

"Hal, we're all in the boxes, by the watchower? Do you have a visual on us?"

"Yes, I have a clear visual. Barry says hi," Hal grumbles the last part out. Ah, Barry.

"Ok, we're out of here then. We need to move fast. Diana, you get Dick out of his box, and I'll get Bruce. We'll make our way to the fence over there, without being seen. Hal? You still there?" we have to wait a moment, but Hal responds. "Yeah, man, whatcha need?"

"You heard what I just said, right?" I understand Clark's skepticism. Hal can lose his train of thought sometimes.

"Course. Now continue,"

"Alright. Hal, need you to open this fence. Diana or I could do it, but it would attract too much attention. You need to do something that won't make people look, alright? Get Bruce and Dick out of here, at all costs. Superman out," Clark sticks the communicator back into his pocket, sighing.

"I hope that Hal understands: Be subtle. He never seems to,"

"I'm sure Hal understands that what he is doing is substantial to the mission, Kal. He knows that Bruce and Dick are more important than being the center of attention," Diana assures him. Clark seems to relax a bit, then he tenses back up. I am confused for a moment until he grabs the wall of his box and pushes it outward, detaching it from the other four walls. Wow.

I see Diana detach her wall from the other four as well, and half crawl past Clark's box and to mine. She pulls the metal off, making a slight screeching noise. She winces, and we all stop in out tracks. Looking around, we continue our work, for there is no immediate threat.

Clark frees Bruce and we crouch, running to the fence to meet Hal, who is glowing green, and being in the Midwest and you glow green, that will attract some attention. Aliens, I would say. But that may offend Clark.

Hal smiles, and pulls the fence up so we can crawl underneath it. Bruce looks wonder-struck and Hal is puzzled at his reaction. If i randomly saw a guy in a skin-tight green slowing suit with domino mask on and some kind of light emanating ring, I would be kind of freaked out, too.

"I'll explain on the ship," Clark whispers, waving his hand dismissively. Looks like he just doesn't care about Bruce's situation, but I know that's not the case. Clark loves Bruce, like a brother.

I turn around to look at the camp again, hoping that we will come back.


	8. A Job to Do

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I really never though this story would make it this far! Honestly, I thought that by now, Bruce would have already reacquired his memory, but it's just gone on and on and on...and on. I really like this story, and we're just now getting into the Justice League. I don't quite know what all the characters call each other, so I'm going out on a limb here. **

**Sorry if I made Hal too jokey, that's how I imagine him and that's how he's going to be in the story.**

**P.S. To 1Superman4Me, I knew you weren't roleplaying, I was messing with you. I don't like that much m'self.**

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING RECOGNIZABLE!**

* * *

On the ship, Bruce and I were hit with a wall of cheers. Apparently, the JLA had known we were kidnapped and had been more worried about their favorite Bat and Bird more than I thought.

Bruce was still mute. He didn't like saying much before, and he still stays true to the trait. He did seem a bit surprised when Diana and Clark took off their glasses and flew to the ship. He seemed even more surprised when Hal protruded his fist, power ring glowing brightly, and a green platform appeared. I stepped on, knowing what he meant, but Bruce was far less enthusiastic.

"Is that thing safe?" he said, pointing at the slightly translucent platform in front of him, on which I was already sitting cross-legged.

"Look, Bruce, this thing, " Hal says, pointing to his ring, "runs on sheer willpower. You know me right? Well, you remember that time Darkseid was attacking? Yeah, remember it Bruce, " Hal looks at me, "He remembers." I shake my head, wondering how this man ever got ahold of a Green Lantern ring. Jeez...

Well, Bruce obviously believed him, because despite the fact that he has absolutely no idea who Darkseid is -he's the lord of Apokolips-, he steps on the platform, and sits down, sighing.

"And we got the Wayne in the house!" Hal says a bit loudly. I look at him and he quiets down. Now, here, it sounds like I am like, the ruler of Hal Jordan. No, I'm not, we're friends, he just calmed down at my glare because he knew he needed to. JLA lesson of the day over. (You're probably going to get another in a minute.)

When we arrive at the ship, Clark and Diana have already gone inside, I assume to tell everyone that "Bruce has no idea who they are and no to flip about it." That's what I would say. Good thing we're all friends in the Justice League, because Bruce and I have nothing on to conceal our identities. I bet they knew Bruce's, and they're going to find out mine. The only two people I knew that knew mine were Clark and Diana. Probably J'onn as well, with his mind reading deal.

They do, thankfully, all already know my secret identity, but they are surprised to see Bruce's face when he goes into the meeting room. If I had just seen 7 people dressed in outfits that are ridiculous if you don't know the people who wear them, I would be dumbfounded as well. Clark, now dressed as Superman, holds a man-sized capsule. Pressing a button, it reveals the Batsuit inside, along with all of the tools and etc. that go into our utility belts. Diana, Wonder Woman, holds my suit folded nicely with my domino mask sitting on top. I run to get it, and I turn around, seeing Bruce just standing there, not know ting what to do.

"Bruce! Come here," he has fortunately learned his name, and whips around to face me, "Bruce, this suit is yours. We have to wear it, and don't say you don't like it, you designed it yourself. You and I collaborated on my suit. You'll see, it fits like a Kevlar glove," I tell him smiling. He responds with something I thought I would never see if Bruce is in his Batman persona, a smile. We retrieve our suits, and after we change into them, we walk back into the meeting room together. Everyone turns around, and they all smile, even J'onn, who smiles just about as often as Bruce.

"The Batman and Robin have been reunited!" Flash says, fist pumping. Everyone cheers for the second time. I look at Bruce, Batman, and smile. He smiles back looking at me through the lenses in his cowl. I tried a cowl when I first started, and it restricted my peripheral vision too much, so Bruce let me use one of his domino mask that he tried out when he first began. It worked perfectly. And so that's when I started using a mask rather than a full cowl.

Batman clenches his hands, letting the gloves stretch a bit for movement. He stands straight up, then kicks straight into the air, and its reminiscent of the kick that Ralph Macchio did in the original Karate Kid. The kick itself is a symbol of hope, that we have a chance of returning Bruce, well, to Bruce.

"We have a job to do, I suppose," Batman says uncertainly. He looks to me for support, and I nod. I told him all the tools in his utility belt and how to use them when we suited up, and hopefully he remembered. I also had him do some simple moves and stances that he always makes me do before we leave the cave. They came all too easily to him. I figured he still had the skills, he just doesn't know how to tap into that part of his forgotten self. I hope that he finds a way, because we're going to need all the help we can get getting the people out that camp.

I look to Superman and Wonder Woman. They understand what we need to do.

I just hope Batman understands as well.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's a lot of hope in this chapter isn't there? I **hope** you guys have gotten into the story and understand the characters, because I believe if you can put yourself in the world of the characters, then you can understand the story. **

**Don't forget to review, man. I love those things, I love knowing what I'm doing wrong, as long as you know how to present it respectfully. But, do it, and tell me how I can improve, because that's what I wish to do. :)**


	9. Come Morning, You'll Be Free

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry if this chapter is a bit sketchy, I just learned the "Cup Song" from Pitch Perfect, and my hands are like, "Afheiubowvhfewiufh." ...I don't know...But in more comprehensible words, they're tired. **

**I know in this chapter, I make the people of the Justice League seem like one big, happy family, because that's how I imagine them, whether or not that's how they really are is a different story...Anyway, that's how I think they would act, and that's how they're going to be in my story.**

**Ci vediamo più tardi! (See you later!) -translations may not be 100% accurate, you can thank Google for errors-**

**P.S. I know I call the member both their superhero names and their identities in this part, so I hope it's not too confusing.**

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING RECOGNIZABLE OR ANNA KENDRICK OR PITCH PERFECT OR LULU AND THE LAMPSHADES!**

* * *

Even though they were slightly surprised, everyone seemed to be handling Bruce's situation pretty well. I mean, they had to learn to stay calm under pressure, they're superheroes! And Barry was spending ** A LOT **of time around Bruce as Supes and WW briefed us for the mission. Bruce himself was doing good, considering he just met everybody and they all were spectacular. I was trying to stay calm and listen to WW as she talked about the gameplan, but Barry was whispering in my ear about he was making good time with Iris, and I was trying not to pay attention to that, because, right now, I don't want to hear about the Flash's love life.

"Yesterday went to lunch together at Vinni's. She loves Italian food, d'you know that?" Apparently he can move his mouth a million miles an hour, too.

"Barry, stop it!" I say maybe a little too loudly. J'onn, who's...floating next to me, gives a glare to kill. Martians are so weird sometimes. Hal, who's standing on the other side of Bruce, leans back and smiles at me. Then, his eyes widen and he quickly leans forward again, and I turn back around to see Martian Manhunter narrowing his eyes at me. I turn around and stare straight ahead, trying not to think about J'onn's weirdness...Dang it!

"You know, child, if you want to say something, it's better to say it audibly rather than mentally when you're around me," J'onn says...wait, is he smiling?

_Yes, child, I am, in fact smiling. Now, if you want to know what the plan is and your part in it, I would pay attention to Diana and Clark. It also seems that Bruce worried about your facial expression. You should work on that. _Well, crap. You have no privacy when you're around this guy. J'onn nudges me in the elbow, pointing up at Diana and Clark, who're talking about what we're going to do liberate the camp. Bruce seems fidgety. He and I have never been ones to sit still like this for too long, plus he's not in control at the moment, and I'm sure he's not partial to that.

"Now, I need everyone to keep an eye on Batman. He's a very experienced rookie, so to speak. Well, what I mean is that, I don't know that he retained all the skills from when he had his memory. I don't want him to get hurt," Superman says, walking forward and putting his hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"On a somewhat happy note, we are off. To free the slaves!" Diana says, raising a fist. We all cheer.

After Flash adjusts his suit a little bit, we all walk over to the bay-type thing, (what? I've only been on this ship a couple times, including now!) and hop out. Well, Bats, Flash, Aquaman, and I hop down to the ground, sending dust flying around us. But WW, Supes, Hal, and J'onn all fly over to the spot where Hal rescued Bruce, Clark, Diana and I. Barry coughs, making too much noise. Batman glares and The Flash holds his hands up in surrender, grinning weakly. I convince myself that Bruce is rolling his eyes. Then, Barry is gone, sprinting to the rendezvous point just a half-mile away.

I look into the rising sun, thinking this place is too beautiful to have this camp being run here. I relay this to Bruce. "That's why we're here, I assume."

Thank the lord that Bruce makes me run a few miles everyday, or I would have been out of breath by the time we arrived. Flash was, of course, there, and Martian Manhunter was just phasing through the ground. Flash, Aquaman, Batman, and I all climbed over the fence as gracefully and and as quietly as possible, but that was not an easy task considering that the fence was not very sturdy and wobbled all over the place. Flah was probably the least fortunate. He fell off, an I stifled a laugh, snickering until Bruce glared at me. Superman gave me a knowing grin. I smile in return.

It seems that although Bruce is an amnesiac, he still retained his personality, and that is all that I need out of him.

"Okay," Superman whispers, "Aquaman, you take out that sentry right there, and Hal you get those two over there. Batman and Robin, you climb up the towers and take those men, I'm sure you can handle it. Flash, you go across the camp, telling the men to come out, that they're free. Martian Manhunter, you can accompany Flash until he reaches the other side of the camp, then you start to take care of the men in those tents. Diana and I will enter the Maroni's cabin, and inform him that we are liberating the camp. When he calls for his men, they will not answer due to the work of Aquaman , Flash, J'onn, and Batman and Robin,"

"I ask that none of you use lethal force to execute any of these actions. We are here to free, not to kill," Diana whispers. We all nod in agreement.

"Let's move." Superman gestures and he and Wonder Woman walk calmly, and slowly, out into the open. Batman is already climbing up the first tower on the right, me on the left. He does it even more gracefully than I, and gets up just a bit faster, pausing for a moment. Staying quiet, and hanging from the side of the platform on which two men stand. I, hanging from a bar supporting two of the left tower's main supports, make half circles with my gloved hands and bang them together in the gesture that means to bang the two men's head together in such a way that knocks them unconscious, but without giving them prolonged head trauma. That's exactly what Bruce told me when he taught me the move. He also made me perfect it. The student becomes the teacher, I guess.

Anyway, the master performs the move with precision and the perfection that I've only seen from Batman, and the men fall to the wooden platform with a muffled _thump_. I am up the left tower by then, and jumping to hold on the metal roof of the tower, kick the man in the back of the head, directing it toward the wooden pole holding the roof up, and knocking him out. He falls to the platform. I lean down to check the man's pulse, because I kicked him a bit hard, I think. His heart is thankfully beating quite fast. I grab the gun he was holding, an AK47 (of course), and remove the clip from it with ease. Even though I was forbidden to ever threaten or use any firearm on anyone, Bruce still bothered to teach me to disarm and remove the clips from many different types of guns that are commonly used by criminals and cops alike.

I look across the way, across the middle of the camp where Wonder Woman and Superman are walking toward the main house, where the crime lord is, but Batman is nowhere to be seen. I look a little farther toward the next tower and see him flying through the air, to catch hold onto a bar, jostling the entire tower. I really hope Bruce just didn't blow our stealth, but he quickly climbs up the rest of the way to the top of the tower, grabs the man looking over the edge, gun in hand, and throws him off the side. _No!_, I think, _you'll kill him!_ but my right mind has more faith in Batman, and the right mind seems to be right, especially in this case. As the man is falling, thankfully not screaming, Bruce throws a hook, wrapping it around his body and hooking it on the taut rope on the man's back. He then proceeds to tie the rope around a bar on the tower, leaving the man hanging upside-down, where he will fall unconscious in a few minutes.

Batman looks to me, and I give a thumbs up and a smile. He gives a slight smirk, and I beam. I just got smiled at by Batman. I'm am one lucky little bird.

Batman and I take out the next few men in the few towers that remain. Easily. Batman has definitely still been inside Bruce even though he is amnesiac. I am glad, but I still want the old, sulky Bruce Wayne/Batman back. I like that Bruce. I like this one, of course, but the old Bruce seems more...Bruce.

Superman and Wonder Woman enter the main house, and Batman and I drop to the ground, amidst many captive people, including gangsters, police, and civilians. They gasp when they see us. I can understand their skepticism and surprise, as the sun is rising, and I'm sure none of them have ever seen either one of us operate during the daytime. A huge man in a black bat costume wouldn't make sense is the daylight hours, as bats are nocturnal, but you gotta do what ya gotta do, I guess.

WW and Superman are just going into the house as we are walking up the steps to enter as well.

"Ahh, Wonder Woman and Superman, nice to see you. How can I make your acquaintance? Oh, where's your friend, the Batman?" I hear Maroni inquire. Superman and Wonder Woman don't have long to think about it, because the Batman and I come into the room, standing tall and proud.

"Here, Maroni. I heard you wanted to see me," Batman says. Thankfully disguising his voice correctly. I tried to teach it to him on the ship, but he seemed to have a hard time with it.

"Batman, I am always happy to see you, and even the little brat you tote around in your belt. As well as your friends from the Justice League. They're always fun to see," Maroni says, rising from his chair behind a desk covered with papers.

"Maroni, this is wrong what you're doing so we're going to stop it. We're here to liberate the camp and set these people free," Diana says with conviction. Maroni finally seems to recognize his situation, and reaches to pull cord hanging from the ceiling.

"No use calling your henchmen, Maroni, they've been taken care of," Superman says, reaching toward the man and grabbing him by his collar. From his position across the desk, Maroni grabs a pistol from his drawer and shoots Superman in the chest with it.

"if you're going to try to fight back, don't shoot me, alright?" Superman says, unfazed. The bullet drops to the ground dented and ruined.

Superman pulls the man over the desk and drags him across the floor, handing him to Batman. Batman looks confused, but then he searches for the handcuffs out of his utility belt.

"Left side, pocket three, Batman," I whisper to him. He gives me a nod, then pulls the cuffs out and puts them on Maroni's wrists. The man winces.

"A bit tight, Bats?" he says. Turning to look at him.

"Good," Batman says, watching Superman carry the captured gangster out the door and into the middle of the camp, where the slaves are all gathered in a crowd headed by Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, the Flash, and Hal Jordan. They all cheer as they see us bring Maroni to his knees, in cuffs.

While the scene of a freed camp of prisoners in the sunrise looks blissful, its really not. We still had to figure out how to get these people out of here, and most importantly: reacquire Bruce's memories.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, yeah, I know it seems like, "WHAT THE CRAP IS THE ENTIRE JUSTICE LEAGUE DOING LIBERATING A SLAVE CAMP?!" Meh, I don't know, you can answer that for yourself. I personally don't think Bruce would allow them to refrain from freeing the people, but hey, that's just me. **

**I also found something yesterday. There's a Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode called "The Mask of Matches Malone" that's about Bruce losing his memory and becoming a crime lord overnight. That's pretty freakin' awesome.**

**Sorry about my use of cheesy nicknames. I generally call superheroes/superheroines by their true identities, but you know, I have to mix it up just a bit, or the entire thing gets boring...if it's not already... XD**


	10. Meeting at Wayne Manor

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I really hope this story isn't starting to get boring to you guys because it's not even near over. There's probably going to be a sequel, because what I want to put in here has nothing to do with "Matches Malone". I thought I would just say that, because I want you guys to be updated.**

**SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE! :/ I'm working on a Youtube channel, and don't ask me for the name! I don't want to tell anyone until they see it in its full grandeur! (I want to do "Let's Play's" and vlogs and stuff, the norm)**

**I DON'T OWN ANYTHING RECOGNIZABLE.**

* * *

No hope. I have no hope of ever reacquiring Bruce's memories. I have no idea what I am going to do. Honestly, there's nothing we can do. I despair. I ponder, to no avail. For a few hours, I think in my quarters on Diana's ship. Slowly, tears begin to form in my eyes. I try to stem them, but there is no stopping the drops. I've been holding them back for too long. Far too long.

I am interrupted by a knock on the door, and Bruce's voice,"Dick? May I come in?" I immediately wipe the tears from my cheeks, and give Bruce my permission to enter.

"So, Dick, did I do what Batman would have done?" he says, smiling, that smile fading when he sees my wet cheeks,"Hey there, Dick. Are you alright?" he says. We are both out of costume, wearing black t-shirts. I am clad in red sweatpants, Bruce in black. The entire JL is planning to meet at Wayne Manor in a few...minutes. Must have been what brought Bruce in here.

"I just...I'm worried...and concerned..." I say, tears brimming from my eyes. I relay my thoughts to Bruce. He nods at the right times, and mutters something every now and then.

"Look, Dick, this is something you aren't going to be able to come up with a solution for right of the bat...heh, 'bat', see what I did there?" Bruce smiles, trying to keep my spirits up," Anyway, you need understand that a solution will present itself to us in time. With the right choices, you will figure something out. I believe in you, Dick. I trust you,"

This hit me hard. Right at home. I really didn't want Bruce to put his faith in me, especially if I didn't even have faith in myself! I am so stressed out right now, I swear I could scream. I really could. But that would probably freak Bruce out, and I don't want that either. If trusts me again, I want to keep that trust. It's extremely hard to get from Bruce. I guess I can't really blame him.

A booming and unsettling voice comes over the intercom. "Bruce and Dick, we are landing in front of Wayne Manor. Please report to the loading bay, where the rest of the league awaits," J'onn's voice. Scary when it needs to be, yet strangely fatherly. **(A/N: Two adverbs! Ha, is that even correct grammar?)**

"We better go," I mutter, looking down from Bruce's icy eyes. They are, for some reason, extremely frightening me right now. I know he would never do anything to hurt me, he wouldn't dare. Yet, the eyes follow me, _his _eyes. My father's eyes. And I am afraid.

* * *

"Hey Dick, Bruce! How're you two doing?" Barry asks brightly as we enter the loading bay. Surprisingly, Barry, Bruce and I are the only three remaining on the ship. Barry usually races ahead, yet he stayed behind. To wait for us, I assume? That's very unlike Barry to "wait up". I shake it off, thinking that Barry is just being courteous. On our own premises. I smile.

"Fine," Bruce lies, "I just went to go get Dick so that we could walk off together," I look at him uncertainly. Why did he have to lie, I don't see the point in that. Whatever, I think, Bruce is just trying to cover for me, I guess.

The grass is finely manicured and it brings back memories. Of Bruce and I mowing it every now and then, giving Alfred the day off, and doing our own chores for a while. We promised we would do this every few weeks, and would have done it more frequently, had it not been for Alfred's hard-headedness.

These memories I am not able to bring back to Bruce. He stares blankly into the mid-morning sun. **(A/N: No, it didn't take long for the JL to get the manor. If the time seems unrealistic, let me know. I just wanna say they _were _in Diana's**** ship.) **An old man, wearing a tuxedo runs up to us, panting. I jump into his outstretched arms, on the brink of tears._ Jeez, Dick, you've cried once ten minutes ago, and know you're almost doing it again! I'm a baby, _I think to myself.

"Master Dick, it seems you've returned alright! And the dye is out of your hair, that's nice. I've always loved the deepness to the black of it," Alfred croons like a loving grandfather. I guess he's kind of like one for me anyway. He turns his attention to Bruce, who is warmly smiling at the man. He still doesn't know who Alfred is, and I wonder if the septuagenarian **(A/N: BIG WORD!)** even knows that Bruce doesn't have a clue who is. If so, I pity the old man. He's in for a shock. I don't want to tell him before he can find out himself, though.

"Master Bruce? I heard you were a bit under the weather? Are you alright as well, sir?" Alfred asks, moving past me and closer to Bruce, who is staring the man down. I see confusion in his eyes, and Alfred turns to me, bewilderment in his features.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't say that I know you. Are you a family friend? A friend of Dick's? Any friend of Dick's is a friend of mine," Bruce says politely.

"Just as I suspected. Amnesia. I can't think of any way to reverse it, though. Not off the top of my head," Alfred says, puzzled. I'm am too busy reeling over what Alfred's reaction is. I almost cried when I found out Bruce had no memories, how is Alfred doing so well? Makes me extremely jealous.

"Um, sir? Amnesia? I heard...Clark? Is it?" I nod when he needs to help, "Yes, Clark says that I have no memory loss, but I think I would know you if you're that close to Dick and me. I thought I would know Dick. Who are anyway?" Bruce says, holding out his hand. Alfred gladly takes it, smiling broadly.

"Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth at your service, Master Wayne. I have been and always will be," Alfred says proudly, bowing. Bruce seems confused, especially at the "Master Wayne" part. I guess he doesn't know not only the Batman side of him, but also the Bruce Wayne side. How am I going to get an amnesiac billionaire to run a business that he didn't even know he owned! I really hope we can get Bruce's memories back, or out lives will never be the same.

Apparently, Alfred dismisses this fact, and walks us over to where the other Leaguers are discussing something. It seems to be pretty heated.

"But you should be able to buy only the FunDip sticks! They're the best part. The sugar is useless, except to make you overweight!" Barry says, arguing with Hal. All of the League is in civilian clothing, mostly just their respective colors, except on t-shirts. Barry in red, Hal in green, Clark in blue, Diana in yellow, etc. Paired with mostly black, but some grey, sweatpants, we all look like a group of runners just returning from a track meet. I guess this is true in Barry's case...

"The sugar is what makes the stick taste good! Technically, you could just eat the sugar and the stick would be obsolete," Hal counters. Both sides seem to have a good point, but I've always loved the sugar better than the stick, so I'm siding with Hal.

Arthur breaks the argument up, pushing himself in between the two men, who're already standing pretty far apart.

"Alright, alright! The stick and the dip are equal. One could not be used without the other. They are intertwined. Now, does that settle your ludicrous altercation?" the Atlantean says, sighing as Barry and Hal, smile and shake hands, each muttering something like, "Man, I knew it. I just didn't want to admit it."

"Okay, now that our 'predicament' is resolved, can we enter the manor? I have sandwiches set out for our guests," Alfred gestures widely to the manor, grinning. Bruce and I look at each other. I wonder if he is ready. Maybe, when he enters, he will be hit with a wave of memories, and remember everything. Or he'll just see everything and it'll all come to him. I think about these scenarios hopefully. Even though I doubt they'll happen.

Yet, I still find myself hoping.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry about all of the in-text author's notes, I just felt like I needed to say those things up there rather than down here. There may be only a couple more chapters to this, so don't get mad at me if you don't want to see it go!**


	11. The Dark Knight Rises

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This may or may not be the last chapter. I've decided on an ending, and if I go with it, there's no need for a sequel. I just have to figure out a way to end the thing. The end has to be good. **

**I'm not going to talk to myself or anything(maybe), but I just want to say that while the reviews are small, they are welcomed with arms wide open. (Creed!) I will hug you if necessary.**

**And, no the title of this chapter is something totally different from the movie, so don't think that it has anything to do with it. No irony intended.**

**PFT(Personified Voice Thingie): You know, you really shouldn't be hypocritical. Not good for the image. **

**Me: Oh, God. And what would my image be?**

**PFT: Ummm...**

**Me: BEEP! You didn't respond fast enough. Your time is up. On with the story. (Trolling my Voice...that's just how I do it...)**

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Inside the manor, everyone but Diana and Clark seemed surprised. They were the only ones who had ever been inside the mansion before. I was pretty freaked out myself at just the sheer size of the place. It was kind of intimidating, just like its owner...

I keep my thoughts off the fact that Bruce scares me sometimes. Can't have that with a telepath around. I sneak a sideways glance at J'onn, who's is busy looking calmly at his surroundings, not frowning, not smiling, just...looking. It's weird. He's under the guise of an African American man, light green t-shirt (just so that it was different from Hal's darker green shirt) and the normal grey sweatpants.

I run around the corner of the foyer, take a left, then a right, run up the stairs, take the first door on my right, and plop down on my bed. Ahh...Alfred changed the sheets to those white ones I really like. They're soft, and comfy, and..._Child, Bruce requests you._

J'onn. _Alright, I'm coming. Just...resting._ I think back, hoping that worked, I've never used a psychic link before. It feels weird.

_Yes, young one, you did use it right. I'll disable it, since you feel that our connection is, as the humans call it, "weird"._ Thank you J'onn for personifying one of my worst fears: invasion of privacy. Or any unwanted invasion, that is.

I take the trip back down to one of the dens, feeling the cold hardwood beneath my feet, remembering when, so many years ago, my smaller feet tread on them. I can almost hear Bruce's voice, telling me to slow down or I'd hurt myself. He's so over protective. Like my mother and father were. I've trained myself not to cry, but to remember when their names cross my mind. Bruce just seems so...fatherly. Crazy, he's never even had a son. I guess I take that protectiveness for granted. I realize that I shouldn't.

A warm smile from Bruce greets me when I walk into the den. The League is just sitting around a large table. I'm surprised to see there's not map on the table, but instead a try of pink lemonade and plastic cups, and another full of small sandwiches. Clark and Diana are smiling at each other, as if from a joke that just died down. Bruce an I stand off to the side, and as I walk up behind him (not a good idea on a normal day), I ask him if he's eaten one of the sandwiches.

"Yes, I have, and I agree with you, Alfred's cooking is _perfetto_,"**(A/N: Italian for "perfect")** It that French or something? How can he remember French?

"Okay, okay, we'll begin. You guys need to calm down," Clark says flashing a 100-watt smile. After a few perplexed looks from the League, including me, he explains.

"Sarcasm? Come on, you guys have no personality...Well, except for Barry," Clark grumbles, and Barry jumps in the air silently, holding his hands up. At Alfred's ushering, he sits back down.

"Alright, so we have to-" Diana starts, but is cut off by Alfred, "Master Bruce, there is someone at the door to see you," he says it in a strange monotone voice. Weird. I look at J'onn, hoping he found a way into his mind, but the Martian is just as confused as I am.

I'm not sure I want to let Bruce go the door alone, but I do. Then a few seconds after he goes, I reconsider. What if its a business man looking for Bruce because he hasn't been at work? The only man I could think of that would come to the Manor for Bruce is Fox, but Bruce gave him the week off. So who is it?

I motion for Diana and Clark, who're already suspicious, to follow me, and they comply willingly. We walk up behind Bruce, in the foyer, as he's opening the door, I look up at Clark beside me. He's squinting as if focusing...hard. Then his eyes widen.

"No! Bruce, don't!" but it is too late, Bruce has already opened the door, leaving the three of us who don't know who's on the other side of the heavy wooden door, to find out with surprise...and angst.

With his maniacal smile, crazy green hair, and loopy female sidekick of pain (trust me, I've felt the hammer once or twice), is the Joker. On the front doorstep of the Batman's home.

"Well, Brucey-boy, looks like we've found the right place. I do think so, don't you Harley?" the lunatic turns to look at his counterpart.

"I think so too, puddin'," she says, laughing. Tightening her grip on the large hammer slung carelessly over her shoulder, she smiles, an evil glint in her blue eyes.

"Who are you two?" Bruce says cautiously. Joker and Harley look at each other and burst into uncontrollable laughter. Bruce looks confused, perplexed, puzzled.

"You...you don't know...remember us? Us?! We...we're your...nevermind. Let's get on with it. I see you have your friends here as well. Hey Supes, Wonder Hag! Oh, and even the Boy Blunder! Marvelous!" **(A/N: Yeah, I made up Diana's nickname...don't know if Joker's ever used it, though) **Joker is at first consumed by his own laughter, then gains control over himself. If was _ever_ in control.

"Joker! How did you figure out Bruce's identity?" Clark hisses, enraged.

"Oh, I've known for a couple months now. And last night proved it. I actually _think _sometimes, you know. I thought it wasn't a coincidence that Batsy would be absent the same night Brucey was, too!" By now, the entire league had entered the foyer, surprised to see the Joker standing calmly outside the Wayne Manor's front door. The front door of his arch enemy.

"Oh, more guests! How interesting!" at this, Clark's anger has overloaded, and he dashes at the Joker with lightening speed.

"Oh, no ya don't, boy scout," Joker laughs, pulling a small, silver gun out of his jacket pocket. I can see Clark's face now. Probably wondering what the crap Joker thinks he's doing with a regular, old gun...fighting Superman. Turns out it's not a regular, old gun. As Joker fires, a green puff of smoke erupts from the barrel, replacing the traditional white smoke. The bullet, if it's even a a bullet, hits its mark, and becomes embedded in Clark's shoulder. Bruce is at his side, kneeling next to him in an instant.

"It's some kind of green bullet. I can't see it visibly, but it's glowing quite brightly," Bruce says, worriedly. I run over to Clark as well, Diana beating me there. I see her motioning for the other leaguers to stay back.

"You didn't think I wouldn't come prepared for without Kryptonite bullet now did you Robin?" Joker laughs again, "I have surprises for you too, Diana. Maybe even another one for the boy in blue!" Joker beckons behind him, and a giant robotic suit appears, with a man inside it. Luthor. Just great.

My surprises aren't over, and I'm sure our day is only beginning.

Next comes a woman, walking calmly. She's dressed really weirdly, in a dress, if it can be called that, that barely covers her body. A strange headpiece adorns the top of her crown.

"Circe," Diana hisses, flying at Circe, and punching through Lex's outstretched robo-hand. Her rage must be giving her power. But Circe composedly raises her hand, a pinkish glow emitting from it. A pink force field surrounds Diana, and she is immobilized. In mid-air.

"But...I'm resistant...to magic," Diana grinds out, the spell holding even her jaw in place. She is stuck in a temporary, if not permanent, stance; right fist raised high and ready to strike. She looks very surprised at her predicament. A few seconds ago, I got the signal to stay calm and collected from a dying Superman. He's hanging on...somehow. All is eerily calm in the Manor, until Circe pipes up.

"Ah, Diana. I see the surprise written on your face. I would be too, if I had just been incapacitated by magic, when I'm supposed to be insusceptible to it. But you see, Diana, you may be almost invulnerable, but you are not immune. I have studied a spell that can capture even you, and it seems to have worked," Circe says, circling Diana, still hanging in mid-air. I'm sure she's seething. At her weakness, her impulsiveness.

"Joker, you took Superman out. That wasn't part of the deal," Lex grumbles. Clark lets out a long and pathetic moan. I pity him.

"Lex, Lex, Lex. We've almost taken out the most powerful members of the Justice League. The only one who remains can be killed with a single bullet. It doesn't even have to be Kryptonite!" Joker roars with laughter.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to die with a single bullet," Bruce rises and runs to Joker, who, in his laughter, was caught off guard, but still has enough time to pull out another gun. A revolver. The gun that killed...Oh, no. **(A/N: I'm not saying that Chill used a revolver to kill Thomas and Martha, it's just the gun that come to mind) **And points it at Bruce. I get up, and in the split second that I don't have, I'm running toward Bruce. He's shot. On the ground, bleeding like crazy from his wound. It's really close to his heart.

"Dick, I want you...to know that...I..." Bruce babbles on, coughing, and wrenching with pain from those coughs, "...that I love you...I always have...I love you, Dick...I" Bruce's hand goes slightly limp, and I scream. he's still alive. Hold on, Bruce. It seems that the other leaguers have disappeared. I don't care. My dad is dying.

"Dick, I..." Bruce says, his eyes closed. I bite my lip as his hand goes completely limp. It is cold and lifeless, as is the rest of his body. All will leaves me. I am dead to the world. Let Joker kill me. I don't care anymore.

The Dark Knight has risen. The bird follows suit.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry, I'm not that good at writing death scenes. I hope it was sad. Please don't kill me! The story isn't over yet, I promise!**

**P.S. I know the Italian word _perfetto_ isn't French...it's Italian... :D**


	12. Epilogue

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: And it ends. The final chapter of "The Face of Matches Malone". Not long speeches (I'm saving that for the end), on with the story.**

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I wake up in a cold sweat. Screaming.

Wait, wasn't I...weren't we? Huh?

I'm in my bed, soft sheets that Alfred just changed. White and fluffy. Wayne Manor. My home. And Bruce's...Oh, God...Bruce.

I bolt out of bed, and run out of my room...smack dab into a hard chest. Smells like Old Spice. Recently showered.

"Dick? I heard you scream. Is everything okay?" a deep voice questions, concerned. I lose myself in that voice. So many memories. Protection from all the shadows that haunt my thoughts.

No, Dad. I'm fine. Just a dream about my parents. No big deal," I say burying myself in his warm chest. I look up, not wanting to break away from our embrace. His ice-blue eyes pierce mine. I love him.

"That's good, because there's rumor around the underground that Two-Face is going to hold some jurors hostage. He claims they were being 'unfair'." Bruce smiles, "You better train a bit, then we can go outside and throw a baseball. That sound good? But hey, they say the days here in Gotham are great, but the nights here are the best," he smiles mischievously.

"So I've heard," I grin.

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**-3rd Person PoV-**

A tall man stands on a building, watching the cops arrest Harvey Dent. He smiles triumphantly. His young partner looks at him, and he smiles back. They are content. Suddenly, the teenager hugs the older man, his arms reaching around behind his cape. The taller man, at first surprised by the child, softens and hugs him back.

**-End-**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi! I hope you enjoyed that, and didn't make you want to throw rotten tomatoes at me! I just want to thank my reviewer and followers and favoriters. I would name them off singularly, but my sister is begging for a FunDip. **

**Spero che ti sia piaciuto, unitevi a me ancora presto! (I hope you liked it, join me again soon!)**

**Buona lettura! (Happy reading!)**

**-Anna**


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